First Date
by xXLadyRachelXx
Summary: Santino Marella wishes to ask the newest Diva on the roster, Emma, out on a date. But unfortunately, he doesn't have the courage for it. Can his friend Sheamus help him? Will he be able to ask Emma out? And if she says yes, how will the date go?
1. One-sided Feelings

**Chapter 1**

**One-sided Feelings And Love Advice From An Irishman**

For a little while now, Santino Marella had a problem.

But not like it was something too serious, not that. He didn't get into trouble, he was just fine. For many years, he had been wrestling with the WWE, the biggest wrestling company in the world. It was a childhood dream coming true. There had been ups, there had been down, but he had nothing to complain about really.

Santino was happy with the WWE.

For a couple of months, he had been wrestling alone, unfortunately he jobbed for a couple of times. But then, he had been called by Vince to appear in a NXT show; that was the part of the WWE were the rookies were. Those men and women were the future of the WWE, and he was glad Vince finally managed to contract some people with real talent. So as you can guess, Santino was quite happy with this opportunity.

He was scheduled for a mixed gender tag team match, and that's where he met her.

Emma.

Now that girl had some real talent; Santino found out about that when they were training for the upcoming match. When he was talking with the rookies backstage, Santino got to know more about the brand-new NXT Diva. She had wrestled in numerous independent circuits for three years, including the well-known all-women wrestling promotion Shimmer Women Athletes. For most women out there it was nearly impossible to wrestle for the WWE, but she, along with some other women in NXT, made it. She started from scratch, now here she was. Another interesting fact about Emma was that she came all the way from Australia. Now that was quite something; that meant she would be the first ever Diva from Australia to debut in the WWE. Santino didn't have that much time to hang around with her, they had to concentrate a lot on their training and at the end they were worn out. But sometimes, they did have a little bit of time after all to talk with each others. At first he noticed that Emma frowned a little bit when she heard his slightly awkward English, but later she was able to smile about it. She herself had the typical Australian accent, but it was not that heavy. It was lighter, but it fitted her perfectly. Emma was a really nice girl.

After the night of the wrestling match, Emma and Santino became somewhat closer. They became more open to each other and cracked jokes now and then. Hanging around with Emma was really nice, they got along great. Eventually, the two became friends.

But unfortunately, Santino had to go back to the main roster.

Immediately after he received that phone call, he felt sad. If he would go back to the main roster, that meant he wouldn't see Emma in a long while. But he knew he couldn't protest against Vince's will, so with a minor pain in his heart, Santino returned to the main roster.

But after a long while, he received some really good news.

Emma was moving to the main roster!

When he heard he would be teamed up with her once more, he was so happy he could die. That news absolutely made his day, nothing could bring him down anymore. He counted down the days to the day he would see her again, like a child would count down the days for Christmas.

And finally, that day was here.

The long lost friends were reunited at the airport where the staff of WWE would be heading off to their next destination to have their next show. From the moment they saw each other, they greeted each other with a hug, like they have known each other for years. In the airplane, they talked non-stop, they had so much to talk about... much to the annoyance of their colleagues who were sitting close to them.

But now, this was the problem.

After Emma moved to the main roster, they had more time to spend with each other. And during that time... Santino developed feelings for her. During the time he was hanging around with her, he noticed how beautiful she actually was. She had long sandy blond hair with dyed brown streaks, blue eyes, sun tanned skin and a personality to match with her looks. She was funny, nice and had a lot of common with Santino. And the way she danced... Dancing was Emma's passion, but unbeknownst to her, she wasn't really that good at it. But that was alright; the way she danced was funny to Santino. The Italian wrestler enjoyed being with her and took advantage of every moment they were able to spend with each other.

And now, he wanted to go a step further.

He wanted to ask Emma to go out with him on a date.

Yes, a real date. You know, going out at night, going to a park, movie theater or a chic expensive restaurant. Santino would love to do that with Emma, he wanted to make her happy and give her a night she would never forget. She was such an amazing girl, he would love to go out on a date with her.

But he couldn't do it... he couldn't ask her.

Santino was not the only guy Emma would hang around with; she would also have chit-chats with the likes of Batista, Cody Rhodes and some other successful male wrestlers. Every moment she spend with those guys, Santino felt his insecurity rising. What if Emma didn't have romantic feelings for him? What if she wanted to remain friends with him? What if he wasn't... attractive enough to her? Would she be in love with another wrestler? If so, Santino's world would shatter. But he knew he could only be sure if he'd ask Emma out for a date. But he didn't have the courage...

What should he do...?

* * *

'Something wrong, fella?'

A male voice with an Irish accent made Santino snap out of his thoughts. He looked around him. Son of a gun... he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice his colleagues leaving the locker room. But apparently, he wasn't alone.

Sheamus, a tall Irish man with spiky red hair and a biker's mustache with the same hair color put his hand on the Italian wrestler's shoulder. Yup, the WWE was melting pot of wrestlers with all kinds of nationalities alright. Sheamus was one of the more successful wrestlers; after being injured he had finally returned and competed in the latest Royal Rumble. Santino had seen him hanging around with Emma once. When he saw them sharing a laugh, his self-assurance hit rock bottom. It was known that Sheamus was well-known with the ladies... Santino wouldn't stand a chance against him.

The Irish wrestler sat down next to his colleague. From the looks of him, he had already replaced his wrestling gear with his casual clothes. 'You've been dreamin' from the moment you arrived in the locker room.' he said with his thick Irish accent. 'What's the matter, Santino?'

'Well...' For a moment, Santino wanted to tell Sheamus the truth, about his feelings for Emma and how much he wanted to ask her to go out with him on a date, but hadn't got the slightest clue to ask her how. But just when he was about to tell him all about that, he took back his words. What if Sheamus would make fun of him? Then his self-assurance would go even deeper than rock bottom... if that was possible. 'Nothing.' Santino said. 'There is nothing wrong. It's alright, Sheamus.'

'No no, fella.' Sheamus shook his head and grinned. 'There's somethin' about you, 'Tino. I can see right through you; you're troubled. No, tell uncle Sheamus what's going on.'

'N-no. I'm fine, seriously.'

'Come on 'Tino, we're friends, right? You can tell me anythin'.'

That was true, Santino and Sheamus had been friends for quite a while. The Irish wrestler had been telling him some personal details about himself as well, so why wouldn't he trust him with his secret? And besides... since Sheamus was a bit of a lady's man, maybe he could give him a bit of advice! Santino decided to give it a shot.

'So... there's this girl I like...'

'Mmm-hm.'

'She's one of the Divas here... it's Emma. You know her, right?'

'Blond lass with brown streaks, bad dancin' skills and Australian accent? Yup, that's her, fella.'

'Well... I like her. Like... more than likes.' On this moment, Santino stared at the ground and twiddled with his thumbs. Would he quit the confession right now? But there was no point in stopping now. He already told him too much. He had no choice but to go on.

'I... I really want to go out on a date with her, but... I don't know how to ask her.'

'Wait. You wanna ask her out for a date, fella?'

'Exactly.'

Sheamus chuckled. Dang, this is just what Santino was afraid of. He could already feel his self-assurance sinking even deeper. Now there would be zero chance he would ever have the courage to ask Emma out on a date...

'Ah yes...' Sheamus nodded. 'That girl would look fine with you alright, fella!'

Santino blinked in surprise. So he wasn't making fun of him? Then why was he chuckling? 'Those ladies out there will be really charmed by you if you play it well, Santino. You're a nice guy, I'm pretty sure it will go well.'

'But Sheamus... I don't know how to ask her out!'

'Alright then, listen up fella.'

Santino nodded. Some dating advice would come out really good at this moment.

'First advice; make sure you can be yourself around her. Find out whether she's actually your type or not.'

Well that was easy. Emma and him had a lot of things in common, so she was definitely his type of girl.

'Second advice: be as romantic as possible. Give her flowers or chocolates or whatever. Go to the movies or a fancy restaurant, it doesn't matter what you do, as long as it's romantic.'

That was exactly what Santino was planning; a movie and a restaurant. That would work out, that was romantic.

'And at last but not least; third advice. This might be the most important advice of all, fella. Make sure to make it the best night of her life.'

Sheamus gave the Italian wrestler an encouraging pat on his shoulder. 'I know you can do that, 'Tino.' You're a nice guy, she will like you for sure!'

'Really?' Santino could feel his self-assurance slightly rising again. It wasn't much, but the Irishman's words gave him a bit more courage. Would he stand a chance after all?

'I'm convinced, fella.' Sheamus smiled and nodded. That was all Santino needed to bring back his self-assurance. He could do it! If Sheamus, one of the biggest ladies man of the locker room, said he would stand a chance of asking Emma out on a date... then it must be true! Grinning from ear to ear and beaming with self-assurance, Santino got up.

'Thanks you so much, Sheamus... Thanks you so much!'

'You're welcome. Now, go get her, fella!'

'I will, I will!' Chuckling in excitement, Santino left the locker room. Sheamus looked on.

'Good luck, fella.'

* * *

Tonight he had the perfect opportunity to ask Emma that one important question.

After WWE had finished their latest show, the wrestlers traveled towards their hotel. After a tiring wrestling match, the only things you could wish for were a hot shower and a long nice sleep.

Santino was worn out, but he wasn't planning to go to sleep just yet. Usually he would immediately go to bed, but tonight, even after the match, he could still feel the adrenaline in his body. He was finally going to ask Emma out for a date.

The chat with Sheamus in the locker room gave him the right amount of courage to do it. In the past he was thinking of instead of asking it to Emma face to face, he would write her a letter with the question in it. When he looked back on that, he shook his head.

Man up, Santino!

There she was, standing in the large hallway of the hotel, at the reception counter. The prettiest woman he had ever seen in his life; Emma. She too was worn out by her match, but even then, she looked so pretty. Santino assumed that during her career in the independent circuit she was used to staying up late at night, even after wrestling in a match. She was talking to the lady behind the counter. The lady smiled, nodded and handed over the Australian Diva a hotel room key. If she would go sleep right away, Santino's chance of asking her out would be wasted. He had to be quick.

Emma walked away from the counter, heading towards the elevators. Hurry, Santino! He quickly walked towards the counter and asked the woman for the key of his room. She turned around and looked for it; apparently, she had trouble finding it, because it took pretty long. During that time, Santino was biting his lower lip and tapped the wood of the counter, he was getting inpatient beyond belief. What if Emma was already in her room now?!

But finally, the woman found Santino's key. When she handed it over to him, he practically ripped it out of her hand and ran to the elevators. But then he changed his mind; all of the elevators were occupied, he had to take the stairs. As if he was chased by the devil himself, Santino ran upstairs. But hold on... on which floor was Emma's room?! He mentally slapped himself on the forehead.

At each floor he arrived, he looked around, hoping his would catch a glimpse of the Australian Aphrodite. But for the next four floors, he had no success. But when he reached the fifth floor, completely out of breath, he spotted her.

Emma was at the end of the hallway, about to enter her room.

With his heart pounding in his sore throat and his lungs nearly ran out of air, Santino managed to call out her name.

'Emma!'

It was louder than he meant to be, but Emma looked up. She noticed him. Hallelujah.

'Santino?' she asked, raising an eyebrow. Even though she was standing in a little distance, Santino could hear her sweet Australian accent. Dang, he loved that accent so much.

'There... you... are...!' Santino panted, his lungs pushed out the last bit of air he had left. He walked towards the Diva, a trickle of sweat ran down his temple. First a wrestling match, then running on five floors of stairs... so much for asking a girl out, son of a gun!

'Are you alright?' Emma asked with a slightly worried voice when Santino reached her, putting her hand on his shoulder. From up close, he could hear her accent even better. That lovely accent... 'Yeah... yeah, I'm alright.' he said, trying to catch his breath. 'Just... had a little run, that is all. Good for the cardio, you know!' He let out a nervous chuckle when he caught some breath and stood up straight.

'So...' the Italian wrestler said. 'Going to sleeps, huh?'

'Uhm... yes, I am.'

'Ah, nice, very nice. But... Emma?'

'What is it, Santino?'

This was the moment. There was no turning back now. He had approached Emma, he had to finish what he started. Because if he would stop now, this could turn really awkward and send his self-assurance back to rock bottom. Santino had to ask it. Now.

'I... I was... I was wondering... If... I was wondering if...'

Santino could feel his voice getting stuck in his throat. Emma frowned, not understanding the situation. The expression her face only made him feel even more nervous. He couldn't do it... he couldn't do it! Santino's self-assurance was sinking once more, but suddenly he remembered Sheamus' words.

_'I know you can do that, 'Tino.' You're a nice guy, she will like you for sure!'_

Those words had a magical effect; they made the self-assurance return again. He shouldn't give up now! Taking a deep breath, Santino found his voice back.

'I was wondering if... you would like to go out on a date with me.'

He had to force those last words out of his throat with force.

It was quiet between the Italian wrestler and the Australian Diva.

Emma's face expressed sheer surprise. That didn't make Santino feel right... what was going through her head right now? Was it just like he expected? Wasn't she attracted to him, did she already have a crush on someone else? The silence was nearly killing him with nerves.

But then, Emma smiled. A soft blush emerged from her cheeks.

'Sure! Why not?'

Santino could feel all his blood pumping towards his head in a second. His heart had never beat this fast before, it was beating so fast. His hands were slightly shaking. She said yes... he couldn't believe it... she said yes!

'R-Really?' he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. 'You... You want go out with me?!' 'Of course.' Emma replied, letting out a giggle. 'You are a great guy, I'd really like to go out with you!'

On that moment, Santino was so happy he could jump into the air in joy. If he was living in a cartoon world, he could've jumped through the roof! Emma wanted to go out with him! He wanted to shout that out loud, he didn't care if he would wake up the entire hotel. The prettiest woman in the business wanted to go out on a date with him and everyone should know that.

'Wonderful!' he exclaimed. 'So... how about a movie and a dinner?'

'Sounds great!'

'Tomorrow night? Could that be possible?' Tomorrow all the wrestlers had a day off, so that would be a good opportunity.

'Sure! I'm looking forward to it already!'

'That's good. I'll make reservations tomorrow!'

'Awesome!'

Santino softly chuckled in shyness. 'So... see you tomorrow night, then?

'Tomorrow night. Thank you so much, Santino... you are really a great guy.'

Santino could feel his cheeks and ears turn red and couldn't help grinning like an idiot. She thought he was a great guy... deep inside, he hoped that she would think he was more than that.

'Good night, Santino.' Suddenly, Emma wrapped her arms around Santino's waist and pulled him close to her, pulling him in for a hug. Feeling her close to him made Santino's cheeks and ears feel like they were on fire, they were so warm. His grin got bigger, he looked like a moron. But in less than five seconds, she already let go of him again. Emma was smiling from ear to ear and for one moment, Santino could swear she had a loving look in her eyes. 'You're awesome.' she said. Then she turned around, opened the door of her hotel room and walked inside. The door closed with a loud click.

Santino was standing on his spot like he was frozen.

But he was far from frozen. On the inside, he was burning with happiness.

Santino turned around and walked to his hotel room, only he didn't feel like he was walking. He felt like he was floating, like he was in a dream. Tonight, a dream came true. He finally had the courage to ask Emma out on a date and she said yes. The woman of his dreams said yes.

When he was lying in his bed at night, he couldn't fall asleep. He was so thrilled, he couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Tomorrow night would be best night of his life.


	2. Go To The Movies, They Said

**Chapter 2**

**Go To The Movies, They Said...**

The next morning Santino woke up with mildly stinging, puffy eyes.

He couldn't sleep for nearly the entire night, he was so excited for tomorrow. But he was also nervous... what would happen? How would the movie and the dinner go? He hoped from the bottom nothing would go wrong. During the night, the most horrible scenarios played through his head; another guy (who was more handsome than he was) showing up and stealing Emma away from him, Emma becoming bored with him and leaving the date... it made him feel sick with nervousness. But deep inside, Santino knew he didn't had to worry. He remembered the words his_ mama _back in Italy used to say to him when he was a little boy.

_'Don't be nervous for things that might not happen in the future, Santino. Be nervous when those things actually happen.'_

Mama was right. Right now, everything was alright. Emma was interested in the date and he still had time to make the reservation for the dinner.

Santino sat up and yawned. Despite all the thoughts he had last night, he did manage to get some sleep. And boy, what a dream he had. The main character in the dream was Emma. Of course. Either it was him, or Emma was even more prettier in his dreams. She was wearing a long pink dress that fitted her perfectly and she was smiling at him. The dream was short, but it was amazing.

He got up from his bed and scratched the back of his head. What he needed right now, was a nice hot shower. Maybe if he would do that, his eyes wouldn't be stinging. He walked towards the bathroom, took off his pajamas, twisted the tap and got under the shower. It worked; his eyes became less stingy and he became less sleepy. He stood under the hot water until it got colder. He didn't want to brush his teeth just yet; he was going downstairs to have breakfast. When he got out of the shower, he dried himself off, put on his clothes and left his room. While he went downstairs to the hotel's dining room, he hoped he would see Emma, but she was nowhere to be seen. Was she still asleep? Maybe. If she was, then let her be. That beautiful girl needed her sleep, Santino didn't want her to be all sleepy when they were at the date. He walked into the dining hall, where he was greeted with the smell of fresh toast. His mouth already started to water, he couldn't wait to get some toast with strawberry jam. He grabbed his breakfast and joined his friends at the dining table. They chatted and shared a laugh, but Santino's had no idea what they were talking about; he was daydreaming about the date of a lifetime.

Later on in the morning, he joined Sheamus to work out at the hotel's gym. Even if a wrestler has a day off, he would still go work out.

'So.' Sheamus said while he was lifting the weights. 'Did you ask her?'

'What?' Santino blinked his eyes. Even during the workout, he was daydreaming. He wanted to look good for Emma, he hoped that his muscles would get bigger after this and she would notice it.

'The date, fella! Did you ask her out?' the Irishman exclaimed.

Santino nodded. Sheamus had been right after all; he managed to do it, he played it right. 'Yup. I did it. She want to go out with me!'

Suddenly, he heard a loud bang. Sheamus had put the weights back to their place and walked over to the Italian wrestler. He was grinning from ear to ear and patted him on the back.

'That's amazing! I told you, fella! I told you she wanted you!' he said happily. 'So, what are you planning to do with her?'

'Just a movie and a romantic dinner, that's all.'

The Irish ginger grinned and nodded. 'Very well, fella. You did a good job.'

'Thanks, Sheamus. Couldn't have done it without you!'

After the workout session, Santino wanted to return to his hotel room to make the reservation for the restaurant. He had the perfect restaurant in mind; it was an Italian restaurant, reviews on the Internet said the food was delicious. He hoped that Emma also liked Italian food. The chance was big; he heard her mentioning once that she liked lasagna.

He hadn't seen Emma for the whole morning, the afternoon had already started. Was she still sleeping? He doubted it. Maybe he could ask one of her friends where she was. When he was walking back to the hotel room, he saw Natalya, fellow WWE Diva and Emma's friend, walking down the hallway. Maybe she knew where she was.

'Natalya!' Santino called out when he approached her. 'Have you seen Emma?'

The Hart Family Diva nodded. 'Yeah, I did. She told me she went out to go shopping, she said she wanted to look for a nice outfit.'

A nice outfit? Could it be that... she went out shopping for an outfit for a date? Santino could smile again at that moment. She went out to pick the outfit for the night of her life, Santino knew she had good taste. He wondered how she would look like; either way, he was pretty sure she would look even more beautiful than she already was.

'Ah, that's good. I was getting worried.' the Italian wrestler said.

'You know, Emma has been talking a lot about you lately, Santino.' Natalya said.

'Really? What did she say?' Would Emma have told Natalya that she had feelings for him as well? Santino hoped so.

'She said that you were a really nice guy with a great sense of humor. She also said she really enjoyed being with you. Emma's happy with you Santino, she likes you a lot!'

Santino could feel a warm feeling spreading across his stomach. If Emma enjoyed being with him so much... could it mean that... she loved him too?

'Uhm... Santino? Are you alright?' The Canadian Diva raised her eyebrow. Santino didn't realize that he was grinning like an idiot, with his eyes half-lidded and a blush coloring his cheeks red. He looked like an absolute moron.

'Y-yes!' Santino blinked his eyes and quickly shook his head, as if he was shaking himself awake. 'I'm fine, really! I'm just happy to hear that.'

'Yeah... I noticed that.'

* * *

'Yes, hello? Restaurante La Rosa Rossa? I'd like to make reservation for tonight.'

'For two, please.'

'At nine o'clock, if possible.'

'Perfect, thank you very much! _Grazie!_'

Santino put the phone back in place and smiled in satisfaction. The reservation had been made, he didn't have to worry about that anymore. He was lucky, too; tonight the restaurant was fully booked, they just had two spots left! Now that's some luck!

The Italian wrestler looked out of the window, looking at the landscape of the city. He was pretty sure there would be some good stores out there where Emma could buy her outfit for tonight. When he looked down at the street, he chuckled.

So the rumors may be true after all.

He saw two of WWE's most popular wrestlers, Bray Wyatt and current WWE Diva's Champion AJ Lee, walking out of the hotel. They were walking arm in arm, AJ had rested her head on Bray's shoulder. Santino had been hearing a lot of rumors about them lately; he knew they were close friends, but the rumors had it that they were just more than friends... so it was true after all. But Santino wouldn't rat them out, of course. He wasn't like that. These two had something beautiful going on, he would never ruin that. Besides, it looked like AJ had a lot of support from Bray lately; ever since her best friend Kaitlyn left the WWE, Bray had given AJ the comfort she needed the most. The comfort from a friend... or maybe even more than that.

He hoped that something beautiful would grow between him and Emma as well.

Suddenly, sleepiness kicked in. Santino felt how tired he actually was. He was so nervous last night, he barely had any sleep. Besides, he didn't have to do anything for the rest of the afternoon. He already had an outfit for tonight; a white blouse with jeans. Always classy, even if you would go out on a date.

Santino laid down on the hotel's bed and closed his eyes. A little nap would do him good, then at least he wouldn't be sleepy at the date. He wondered if Emma had already bought her outfit... how would she look like? With a smile on his face, Santino fell asleep...

How long had he been sleeping?

When Santino woke up, the room was already dark. He tried to find the button of the lamp on his nightstand; after missing it for three times, he finally found it and pressed on it. The light was turned on immediately and the room was dimly lit. He checked the time on his cell phone. Six o'clock. Son of a gun, did he sleep for that long?! Then Santino noticed he had received two texts. From Emma.

He slapped himself on the forehead. He didn't even hear his cell phone, how stupid! He tapped on the small screen two times and read the texts.

_'Hey Santino! Just bought a dress for tonight, is it alright if we meet at six o'clock? Please text me back! I'm really looking forward for the date :)'_

That text was send at three o'clock. Santino read the other text.

_'Hi, I haven't heard anything from you yet. But I will show up at six o'clock anyway, just want to let you know. See you tonight, Santino!'_

Instantly, Santino felt ashamed. He didn't answer her back over those hours... would she be mad at him? Would she still be interested in the date? In the text she said she would show up at six o'clock, that means she was still coming. But wait... right now it was six o'clock! Crap, she could be here any minute! The last bit of sleepiness Santino had faded away. He jumped up from his bed, opened his suit case, got out the blouse and jeans and put them on. But just when he was putting on his pair of jeans, he heard a knock on the door.

Could it be Emma?

'Just one moment!' Santino shouted when he hopped up and down to get his legs in the trouser legs. When he finally got his jeans on, he ran to the door, nearly tripping over his own feet. He opened the door and there she was.

Emma was even more beautiful than she was in Santino's dream. She had curled her hair and tied it up in a high ponytail, but some thin tresses hang loosely near her jaw line. She didn't wear too much make-up; pastel pink lipstick and light purple eye shadow. Her make-up fitted perfectly with her outfit. She was wearing a strapless purple dress and white high heels. She was so beautiful... it nearly left Santino speechless. He had never seen Emma like this before. He knew she had dressed like this for him, for him and him only... it only made him love her even more.

'Hi...' he said, nearly inaudible. 'Wow... look at you...' Santino's voice was filled with admiration to the brim.

'Hey!' the Australian beauty greeted back. 'I was getting worried about you, mate. You didn't answer your phone, was something wrong?'

'No, nothing was wrong. I was feeling sleepy and took a nap... I guess I've dozed off. I am so sorry, Emma!'

'It's alright.' Emma smiled at him. 'I was worried you might've lost interest in the date, and... I see you are not. That makes me happy.'

'Me? Lose interest in the date? Never, Emma!' Santino was truly ashamed for not answering her texts back, but the fact that she wasn't mad at him made everything alright. He felt the shame fading away.

'Well then... let's go?'

'Of course!' Santino couldn't believe it.

Their very first date was about to begin!

* * *

After Santino locked the door of his hotel room, he walked with Emma through the hallway, took the elevator downstairs and with walking through the hotel's large doors, they left the hotel. The full moon brightened the darkness, along with the many stars scattered across the dark blue night sky. It was the perfect night Santino could imagine for a date... but even though the night looked romantic, the temperature sure had drastically dropped. It was pretty warm when it was daytime, but now it felt like it was freezing. Santino could feel the goose bumps rising from his skin, he felt stupid for not bringing a coat. 'Are you cold?' he gently asked Emma. Because if she was, he wouldn't hesitate to go back to his hotel room and bring her the thickest coat he could find, just so she could stay warm in the cold night. 'No, no, I'm fine.' the Australian Diva replied. 'Thank you for asking, though.'

They soon got to Santino's rental car; since WWE Superstars had to travel all over the United States (and sometimes even over the world) mostly by plane, he couldn't take his car at home everywhere. So that's why he often rented a car when he was on the road. The car itself looked cheap, but at least it got himself on all the destinations he wanted to go. Santino walked towards the passenger's side at the front of the car and opened the car door. With a dressy gesture, he invited Emma to get in the car.

'Ladies first!' the Italian wrestler cheerfully said.

Emma giggled. 'Wow, Santino... I knew you were a nice guy, but I didn't know you could be such a gentleman!'

The Australian Diva got inside the car. Once she was inside, Santino closed the car door. That compliment made him blush from ear to ear. She thought he was a gentleman... he was doing it right! If he would keep up like this, this date would go flawless!

Santino opened the car door on the driver's side and got in. Immediately after he twisted the key, the radio switched on and the voice of an excited young man started to speak.

'And now, with a classic from the past, Blink-182 with 'First Date!''

Just before Santino wanted to turn down the volume, the introducing drums filled the silence in the car car, followed by the loud guitars. So apparently the car's previous owner had a taste for punk rock music; not exactly the kind of music Santino liked.

'Hey, Blink-182!' Emma exclaimed. 'I love that band! This is my favorite song, too!'

'Really?' Santino did have the intention to turn the radio off, but now that Emma had confessed this was her favorite song, he decided to leave it on. Turning it off just because he didn't like it was rude; it could take away Emma's interest in the date.

'Yeah.' the Australian Diva replied. 'But you can turn the radio off if you don't like it...'

'Oh no, no! It's alright!'

Santino switched gears and together with the prettiest Diva of the roster, he drove away from the hotel. The city looked really nice in daylight, but when it was night, it really came to life. Everywhere Santino looked, there were lights. Lights, lights and more lights. They came from the traffic lights, the lanterns, the windows of stores, the signs of other cars... it looked like the entire city was made of light! The Italian wrestler noticed that Emma was enjoying the sight too; she was staring out of the window with a dreamy smile on her face while humming to 'First Date'. Santino had never really liked punk rock music, but this song had caught his attention. While driving, he was listening to the lyrics and realized how ironic this was. This was indeed his very first date and he was nervous like hell, just like the person in the song. The realization made him chuckle.

The movie theater wasn't too far away, so the ride was rather short. Unfortunately for Emma, she couldn't finish listening to her favorite song. Santino drove into a parking lot not far from the movie theater. Once he found a spot to park his car, he shut off the engine, abruptly putting the song to an end.

'Here we are!' Santino said when the engine felt silent. He wasn't sure if Emma knew it, but his heart was pounding like crazy. He already could imagine sitting next to her while they were watching a romantic movie and enjoying some delicious popcorn. Would the movie theater be the place where they would share their first kiss? The thought of it turned Santino's cheeks red, they became so warm he thought they were on fire.

'Let's go!' Emma opened the car door and got out of the car. Santino did the same thing. He closed the car and together with Emma, he left the parking lot. His cheeks only turned even more red when he saw Emma looking at him and smiling.

'Who would've ever thought I would go out on a date with you, Santino?'

'Y-y-y-yeah, who would've thought that, huh?' The smile made the Italian wrestler nearly stumble over his own words.

After walking for a little while with Emma walking close to him, they arrived at the movie theater. The line was a bit long, so that gave Santino some time to look around and look at the film posters. There were many movies they could choose from; drama, comedy, action, animation, and most important of all... romance. But when his eye fell on the poster of a horror movie, Santino couldn't help but gulp in unease. The poster had the image of a demonic face cloaked in a dark shadow; not something that you would make you feel at ease. 'The Lake Demon', the title said. Horror movies were his least favorite thing in the world; he sure as hell hoped Emma wouldn't pick that. He had told her she could pick any movie, he was fine with every movie they had for people to see in here, but please Emma, don't pick that horror movie!

'Lot of movies, huh?' Santino said when they got closer to the ticket counter. 'I'm pretty sure one of these movies will match your interest for sure. How about 'A Night In Paris'? Or 'Guns and Explosions?' Or...'

'Two tickets for 'The Lake Demon', please!'

Santino had a smile on his face while he was talking, but when he heard Emma ordering the tickets for the horror movie, the smile froze into a grimace. His eyes were wide open.

'What.'

* * *

Sitting next to Emma in the half-full cinema, Santino had the feeling he could jump out of his seat and run away at any moment.

He should've told her that he had a bad experience with horror movies; when he was a little boy, his cousin Paolo showed him this movie where teenagers could ripped to pieces by a psychopath with a chainsaw, blood sprayed around like a fountain and the screams of the poor victims nearly deafened his ears. All the things he had seen in that movie had mentally scarred little Santino for life; since then, he refused to watch any other horror movie. Ever.

But now, he was forced to watch the movie genre he despised the most.

Yes, he wanted to run out of the cinema, he could feel sweat emerging from his armpits, but he couldn't do this to Emma. If he would do that, he would leave her alone, ruining the date. Fine, he would do it. He would pass the test.

He would do this for Emma.

Just before they entered the cinema, Santino had bought the biggest bucket of popcorn they had, to share it with his beloved girl. But so far, he was the one who took the most handfuls of the sweet snack. It helped getting him through the movie, though. After every scary moment, he would shove a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

Emma herself was enjoying the movie. Sure, she also had a couple of scares at some moments, but she would all laugh it away. Even though Santino was sweating of fear like crazy, watching her smile and hear her sweet laugh... it made this all worth it.

Right now, the movie wasn't that scary at this moment, and Santino just came up with the perfect idea to let Emma know how much she really meant to him. It was super cheesy, super cliché, it was in every romantic movie he ever saw, but it was perfect at this moment. He would pretend he was stretching himself, then lean sideways, stretch his arms and put it around her shoulder. She was so concentrated on the movie, she wouldn't even notice it. Santino could feel his heart beating in his throat (either it was because of the movie or it was because of the nerves, he couldn't exactly figure it out), but he had to do it. This was the perfect moment.

Santino stretched himself, his fists clenched and his arms in the air, faking a yawn. From the corners of his eyes, he checked Emma. Good, she was still watching the movie. Slowly and carefully, Santino lowered his right arm, ready to touch her shoulder. Just a few centimeters away, and he would touch her bare skin. So close...

But just then, the Lake Demon showed his horrific face on the full scream with an ear-deafening roar.

The most high pitched, feminine scream filled the cinema; it was so loud, even if you lived all the way in China, you could hear it.

But it wasn't a woman who screamed, not even Emma.

Santino had jumped up from his seat and landed in on the Australian Diva's lap, shaking like a leaf, sweat pouring down his face, whimpering like a little baby. He clanged onto Emma's neck as if his life depended on it.

Of course the scream caught the other people's attention and some of them got up from their seats, to catch a glimpse of the full grown man lying in the woman's lap, shivering in fear. Soft laughs emitted from several sides of the cinema.

'Santino?' Emma asked, completely caught by surprise. 'Are you alright?'

Santino stopped whimpering. For a moment, he was completely quiet. Then he managed to finally use his voice, even though it was shaky and high pitched in fear.

'Go to the movies, they said... it would be fun, they said...'

* * *

**Hey guys, sorry for the long absence, I had to study a lot for my exams. Hope you are enjoying the fanfic so far, the final chapter will be there for sure! Stay tuned! ;) **


	3. A Night To Remember

**Chapter 3**

**A Night To Remember**

'Are you sure you are okay, Santino? You still look a little bit pale...'

'No, I'm okay, Emma. Really, I'm totally fine!'

The movie had just ended, hallelujah. It was the worst thing Santino ever had to sit through, it was even worse (not to mention, even more traumatizing) than the movie his cousin had showed him back then. He had never felt so embarrassed after he had jumped onto Emma's lap as a result of a jumpscare. It wasn't manly at all, just embarrassing. He made a fool out of himself. But luckily, Emma didn't seem to mind it; instead of laughing at him, she just put him back in his seat and comforted him, telling him to ignore the laughter of the other attendants. That helped him.

But, on the other hand, he did this for Emma. It made him kinda proud that he had sat through the entire movie, he did it for her after all.

He would do anything for Emma, as long as it made her happy.

'Hey...' Emma put a hand on Santino's shoulder. 'I think it was really awesome what you did, mate... even though you were scared, you didn't get out of here.'

'Really?' Santino asked. 'You... you weren't embarrassed by me?'

'No, not at all. I thought it was really cute!'

A soft blush emerged from Santino's cheeks. The woman of his dreams thought it was cute... sitting through this movie and enduring the mocking laughter made it all worth this.

'You... really think so?'

'Yeah, you were being yourself and that's what I really like. A man who is being himself. I'm glad you're like that, Santino.'

The Italian wrestler shyly smiled. Even though that embarrassing moment was a minor setback in the date, he was being himself around Emma. And as long as he was himself, Emma would still like him... and maybe even attracted. The embarrassment took a seat back and a happy, warm feeling spread across his chest. He didn't have to act like somebody he was not to be accepted by her, he just had to be himself. Sheamus would be proud of him.

Emma's personality was just as beautiful as her looks!

'Hey, uhm...' Emma said, snapping Santino out of the warm feeling. 'I don't want to sound rude or anything, but... I'm getting a little bit hungry. Shall we go?'

'Oh, of course! Let's go!'

When Santino got up from his seat, he accidently crushed a piece of popcorn underneath his shoe.

* * *

During their walk back to the car, Santino constantly looked behind his shoulder and got chills every time they would walk past a dark alley. The movie had shaken him up pretty much; he would expect the Lake Demon jumping out of the darkness at any moment. Emma noticed his behavior, but she didn't really mind it. She actually thought it was funny, even kind of cute, actually.

When she met Santino for the first time in NXT, she never expected she would ever go out on a date with him. They had good chemistry together in their tag team match; they worked perfectly in sync. Even outside the ring, they got along great. Turned out he was more than a partner to wrestle with. He was funny, kind and a little bit awkward. But that was alright, because it was a good kind of awkwardness. It made him look a little silly, something she really liked. When she received the news Santino would be returning to the main roster, Emma was sad, really sad. They had just become friends and then he had to leave already... it sucked, but it was all part of the business. Sometimes friendships didn't really matter in WWE. But when she received the phone call where they told her she would be moving to the main roster, Emma couldn't be any happier. Not only did a life-long dream come true, but she would also see Santino again. When they wrestled against Fandango and Summer Rae, it was just like the good old days. The chemistry was back and they had more time to hang around with each other.

Santino was such a sweet guy... his personality was what made Emma want to hang around with him. Sure, he wasn't super-muscled like some other wrestlers on the roster, but that didn't matter to her. Looks never mattered to her, it was the personality that did.

And Santino had a beautiful personality... it made Emma feel butterflies in her stomach.

The Italian wrestler still looked around him. Suddenly, the loud bang of a falling trash can emerged from an alley they were passing by, followed by a black stray cat jumping out of the darkness with a loud meow. If Santino would've lived in a cartoon world, his heart would've literally jumped out of his chest. He let out a high-pitched scream and nearly fell flat on his butt, but Emma caught him just in time.

'It was just a silly cat, mate!' she laughed.

'I... I knew that...!' Santino whimpered, his voice hoarse with fear. Would they even survive their trip back to the car? He never wanted to go to his car so badly, son of a gun!

Finally they got back to the parking lot and reached the car. Santino couldn't wait to get in and drive away as fast as possible, to the restaurant where there would be candle light and romance. He opened the car and the two got in.

'Let's get away from the Lake Demon, shall we?' the Australian Diva said jokingly.

'You are reading my mind, Emma.'

They drove away from the dark parking lot as fast as possible.

* * *

'_Buonasera_, welcome to La Rosa Rossa. Did you make a reservation?'

The restaurant looked nice and clean, it smelled delicious too. The reviews on the Internet said this restaurant has been around since the fifties, it surprised Santino that La Rosa Rossa was still in business and still had good reviews. It was just a matter of proper managing, he guessed.

The Italian wrestler nodded at the waitress behind the counter.

'Yes, I made a reservation for two at nine o'clock.'

The waitress took a look in a small white notebook.

'Ah yes, Mr. Marella. Take your seats, please.'

'_Grazie_.'

While walking to their table in the back of the restaurant, Emma looked around her. The restaurant had a very nice decoration, it was the traditional Italian design with a small hence of the modern day. Whoever came up with the decoration, was a genius!

'This place looks great, Santino!' the Australian Diva said as they sat down at their table. They even paid attention to the design of the tablecloths, goodness gracious!

Santino smiled shyly. This is exactly what he was dreaming of, this is what he had in mind for the perfect first date with Emma. A table for two in the best Italian restaurant in town, delicious food and candlelight. Right now, nothing could go wrong. Emma's face looked even more beautiful in the warm light of the candle... the butterflies in Santino's stomach went crazy.

'Only the best for you...'

The words left Santino's mouth before he even realized what he said. He let out a nearly inaudible gasp and his cheeks turned bright red. What would Emma think of him right now?

There was a short awkward silence between the two... until Emma smiled and let out a soft giggle.

'Thanks Santino, I really appreciate it.'

The Italian wrestler nodded quickly, his cheeks still flushed red. Thank goodness this didn't become too awkward...

It didn't last long before the waiter came towards their table. Santino ordered a cola for him and a water for the Australian Aphrodite. Despite the restaurant being quite crowded this evening, the waiter quickly came back with their drinks, a small basket with pieces of baguette and two menus to choose a dish from.

'See anything you like?' Santino said while studying his menu.

'Hmmm...' Emma took a piece of baguette from the basket and took a bite from it. 'I think I'm going for the lasagna.' she said while chewing. 'You?'

'I think I will have spaghetti.'

'Really? Of all restaurants in this city, you had to pick this one?!' an unfamiliar male voice spoke angrily.

Both Santino and Emma looked up.

At the table next to them, another couple was visiting the restaurant, but it didn't look romantic at all. The man looked like the kind of Razor Ramon guy, a guy you wouldn't want to see your daughter with. He had way too much gel in his hair, it looked so greasy and shiny. It looked like he bought his suit at the local thrift shop, so cheap. And to top it off, he wore one of those everyday golden necklaces around his neck.

The girl herself looked really sad, as if she had received all the punches from life. It looked like she hadn't washed her long light brown hair with a proper shampoo for weeks. Her glasses made her look even more sad, including her dress that she must have borrowed from her grandma. Santino nearly wanted to shake his head in dismay; this was just way too sad. What did that girl ever see in that guy?

The girl mumbled something Santino and Emma couldn't hear, but it seemed like it settled down the tension between her and her date. The man rolled his eyes, then they sat down.

Santino looked back to Emma, she could read the disgust in his eyes. She reassuringly shook her head.

'Let them sort out their own troubles,' she whispered. 'I think they will figure it out.'

Santino nodded. He would let it rest... for now.

* * *

Dinner came in half an hour.

In one of the many positive reviews about the restaurant, Santino read the food was fresh, it was made from scratch every day. When the waiter arrived at their table with the plates in his hands, Santino had a good feeling about the dinner. It looked delicious, it smelled delicious... Emma would love it!

The Italian wrestler nearly grinned like an idiot when the lasagna was put in front of her.

'Bon appetite!' he said.

'Thanks.' The Australian Diva cut a piece off from the lasagna. When she put the piece into her mouth, Santino crossed his fingers underneath the table. Please, let it be good...

After swallowing the lasagna down, Emma gave Santino one of the sweetest smiles he had ever seen.

'It's delicious!'

That sweet smile and the fact that she liked the food caused a warm feeling to spread across Santino's chest. It made him feel like he had accomplished something big, even bigger than winning an important WWE title; he had picked the right restaurant for her. If she didn't like the food the date would've become very awkward. But now that she liked the food, everything felt right. Santino didn't have to worry about that anymore.

The couple enjoyed their dinner. The reviews were true; the food was indeed delicious, it tasted very fresh. Due to their busy schedule by working with the WWE, they barely had any chances to dine in restaurant like this one. Most of the time they had their dinner in the hotel restaurants, which wasn't always that good. But now it was different. It was just the two of them, enjoying a romantic dinner in a good restaurant.

While taking another mouthful of his spaghetti, Santino looked up and smiled. Even when Emma was eating, she was beautiful.

'Emma?' Santino asked when he was halfway his spaghetti.

'Yeah?'

'Are you enjoying the date so far?'

It was like Emma was happy Santino asked her that question. He could see the happiness beaming off from her face.

'This has been the best date ever, Santino.' the Australian Diva answered.

For a moment, Santino wanted to crawl over the table to give Emma a hug of a lifetime, he was so happy to hear that answer. He was able to give this beautiful girl the best date she ever had, that was such a big accomplishment to him.

'I have dated many guys before, and believe me, all of them were real jerks. But you... you are different. Much different.'

Suddenly, Santino felt something touching his hand. Emma had reached out and gently touched the hand of the Italian wrestler with hers. Santino blinked in surprise and couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

Was this the moment? Was this the moment she was going to tell him she had feelings for him as well? But maybe she didn't have to make the first move; during this dinner, Santino had developed enough courage to tell Emma how he really felt about her. He was ready for it. Emma should know about his feelings for her, she should know how special she was for him and how much she meant to him. She had the right to know it all.

But just before Santino could open his mouth to confess everything to her, Emma was fast enough to speak first.

'You are kind to me, you have a great sense of humor and overall, you have been an amazing friend to me. I have never met a guy like you before.'

'Emma...'

'I really enjoy being with you, Santino.'

And that was true. Whenever she was with Santino, Emma felt great. Okay, maybe a little bit more than great. She felt awesome when she was with him! With Santino, she could really be herself. They could laugh about the same jokes with him and she could trust him, even telling him about her journey to the WWE. Being a woman in the wrestling business was really tough, especially if your main goal was to go to the WWE. Emma was one of those few women in the indies to actually make it to the top. But during that journey, she had to make sacrifices and had to deal with competition. Luckily, she had Santino to tell him all about it. Santino understood her; his journey wasn't an easy one either.

He was a great friend... and maybe even more than that.

Emma loved Santino, she loved everything about him.

'I also really like being with you.' the Italian wrestler replied.

Oh man... what should she do now?

Emma was nervous, way too nervous. She wanted to tell Santino that she loved him, but she wasn't sure how he would react. Ugh, she always had this problem; she always had a hard time telling her crush how she actually felt about them. She was never sure what the reaction would be like. But Santino took her out on this wonderful date... She knew she could be herself when she was hanging around with him, but this was something quite different...

This all became too much.

'Uhm... mind if I go to the bathroom really quick?' Emma had to retreat somewhere, to put it all back together and keep her head cool. If she would calm down, she could tell it all to Santino.

'Ehrm... sure.' Emma could see the smile drop off Santino's face. It made her cringe from the inside, but she had to do it. She stood up and quickly walked towards the ladies bathroom. Santino watched her until she closed the door of the bathroom behind her.

Was he being too obvious that he had a huge crush on her? Immediately, Santino started to doubt. Did he scare her? Oh man, this was so awkward... Staring at his spaghetti, he wondered what he did wrong.

* * *

'Oh man, just look at you...'

The voice of the rude guy from earlier made the Italian wrestler look up. Was he talking to him? No, he was talking to his suffering girlfriend again. For this whole time, things had been normal between them, but now it looked like it was happening again. And from the look on that poor girl's face, Santino knew this was really bad. She was practically cringing in her chair, biting her lower lip and on the verge of breaking into tears. But that didn't stop her boyfriend of verbally abusing her.

'What the hell were you thinking, showing up in a dress like that?' he said out loud, probably making sure the entire restaurant would hear him. 'Where did you get it, at the freaking garbage dump? Are you trying to make me look bad, you stupid little cow?! You dress up like an idiot and then take me to the crappiest restaurant in town! You are useless, you know? Worthless! You're nothing!'

The girl tried hard to fight back her tears... but one single tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

That was it.

From the inside, Santino could feel himself boiling with anger. Ever since he was a little boy, Santino's _mama _told him to respect women, no matter what. He had always remembered those words while growing up and vowed to treat Emma with respect. He would never hurt her, he would not even call her names. But seeing that guy treating that girl so poorly... that made something inside him snap.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Santino got up from his chair and walked straight towards the table of the couple. He grabbed the guy's shoulder and roughly forced him to look at him.

'Excuse me, sir.' Santino spoke with a firm voice, nearly fuming with anger. 'Could you please stop talking to that girl like that? It is disgusting.'

'Mind your own damn business!' The guy stood up, glaring at him. 'Who do you think you are? I talk to my girlfriend in any way I like, got it?!'

'Baby, please...' Even though she was about to cry and absolutely humiliated, the girl still tried to calm her abusive boyfriend down. But her words were obviously ignored.

'You do not talk to her like that, you have to treat her with respect!' Santino replied, not frightened by the guy's glare.

'Piss off, will you?!' With a harsh push, Santino was pushed against his own table, sending Emma's glass of water to the ground to shatter into pieces. A pair of hands roughly grabbed his shirt, pulling him close to the guy's face. 'You do not tell me how to treat my girlfriend!' he yelled, small drops of saliva splattering on Santino's face. 'You have made a big mistake, buddy. I will freaking bash your face in, I will beat it until you won't even recognize yourself anymore!'

'I don't think so, mate.'

As if she was his own guardian angel, Emma had returned from the bathroom to help Santino out. When she was in the bathroom to calm down, she had heard the loud voice of the guy. But when she heard Santino's voice and the sound of shattering glass, she got out and saw what was going on. When she saw that the guy was about to punch Santino, she had to stop him, which she managed to do in time.

Now he had to pay for what he had done to Santino.

Emma clenched her fist, pulled her arm all the way back and punched the guy in his face with full force. Roman Reign's 'Super Man Punch' was nothing compared to this; it send one of his teeth flying into the air and landing on somebody's table, probably ruining the person's appetite for the whole evening. The guy himself was, surprisingly, still standing. Though shaking on his legs, he survived that mother of all punches. This only fueled his anger more; this time, his target was the Australian Diva.

But just before he could grab her...

'Cobraaa!'

He had used this finisher for years in his matches in the WWE, and right now there couldn't be a better timing to use it. Santino pressed the tips of his four fingers on the tip of his thumb, pulled his arm back and struck the guy right in the face, making him see stars. This blow made him finally lose his balance; he tripped over his own feet and fell on the ground with a loud thud, letting out a soft groan of pain.

The douchebag was knocked out cold.

Both Emma and Santino looked up. Unbeknownst to them, the entire restaurant had fell silent. All the eyes were focused on them, customers and staff alike. But all of them had the same expression on their face; pure shock. You wouldn't see a fight like this every day.

Immediately, Santino was struck by embarrassment. 'Oh, son of a gun...' he whispered nearly inaudibly to himself. They were in deep, deep, deep trouble...

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of a chair being shoved away.

It was the girlfriend.

She got up from her chair and walked towards her boyfriend, who was still lying on the floor. But nothing on her face showed that she had any pity or sadness; she glared down at him, her eyes full of hate. She stared at him for a couple of seconds.

Then she kicked him in the stomach with all the power she had. Apparently he felt that; he let out a loud grunt of pain. Now he was the one being nothing.

'I'm breaking up with you.' the girl said emotionlessly. Then she turned around to a waitress, who was standing there all the time to witness the fight.

'Check, please.'

* * *

This was horrible.

No, this was even worse than horrible; this was awful.

Never, ever, in his entire life, Santino had been kicked out of a restaurant. The manager of the restaurant had come out of his office to see what all the ruckus was about. When he found out Santino and Emma were the ones who knocked that bully out cold, he immediately kicked them out. Santino was glad he didn't call the police, or else his career (and possibly Emma's too) in the WWE was screwed.

This has been the worst date ever.

During the whole car ride back to the hotel, Santino didn't want to look at Emma, let alone speak to her. He was just too embarrassed; he never had never thought the night would end like this. Sure, he may have protected that girl, but all of this had ruined their date. They spend the whole car ride in an awkward silence. Santino had many awkward moments before, but this one was so painful it nearly made him cry. But he did his best to hold back his tears. He had no idea what to say to Emma, he couldn't come up with any words.

They parked on the parking lot near the hotel. Even when they were inside the hotel, Santino didn't hear the noises around him; he was way too caught up in his own misery. It felt like he had a big boulder in his stomach, he felt that horrible. The back of his head felt like bursting. He had never felt this awful before.

Waiting in the elevator to go to the fifth floor didn't clear the horrible feeling either; it turned things even more awkward. They were just standing there in complete silence, Santino had no idea what to do. Finally they arrived on the fifth floor. They walked through the hallway, right towards Emma's room. There Santino would say goodbye to her and go back to his own room. The next morning, Emma would call Vince to ask him to not be teamed with Santino with any longer. If they would meet each other backstage at the shows, she would probably ignore him for the rest of his career. Or maybe even worse... she could quit and leave WWE forever, all because of him! The thought of it made the 'boulder' inside his stomach increase in size.

The Australian Diva grabbed the key she had hidden underneath the thin doormat in front of her door.

'Emma...' Her name rolled over Santino lips before he could even hold it back. But right now, he couldn't stop talking anymore. This could be the last time he could talk to her...

'I am so, so, so sorry for what happened tonight. I know, I have ruined everything. I am sorry I got you kicked out of that restaurant, I didn't mean to. But that guy, he was humiliating that girl, and... and... and...'

'It's okay, Santino.'

The look on her face surprised the Italian wrestler so much, it made his heart melt with relief.

Emma gave him a sweet smile, not one bit of disappointment was shown on her face. And Santino knew Emma too well; if she was really sad or disappointed, she wouldn't smile. And this smile was truly sincere.

'Tonight, I had the best date ever!'

'W-what?! Really?!' So she wasn't sad at all? Santino couldn't believe it!

'Heck yeah, mate. I've seen a great movie, had a nice dinner and I had a good ol' fight!' The Australian Diva grinned when she remembered punching the guy in the face. 'I like a good fight now and then. And besides, that idiot deserved it.'

Despite everything, Santino managed to laugh. 'So you aren't mad, then?'

'No, not at all! And the best thing was... that I had someone special to share it all with.' Suddenly, Santino felt something touching his hand. Looking down, he saw that Emma's hand was now gently touching his.

Could it be...? Was she also...?

He couldn't hold back any longer. He had to tell her.

'Emma... the reason why I took you out on this date was because... because...' Santino let out a shaky sigh, then took a deep breath. He could feel his heart pounding like jackhammer in his chest. 'I love you, Emma. Ever since we started wrestling together. But I was too afraid to tell you my true feelings for you... and I wasn't sure whether you had feelings for me as well, so that's why I took you out on this date. I want to be more than just friends with you. You are an amazing girl, Emma. You're the prettiest girl I have ever seen, I want to spend my life with you. You... you are my dream girl.'

Silence.

Emma could feel her eyes twinkling with happiness. He had feelings for her all along? So her feelings for him weren't one-sided after all... it was a dream coming true! Now she wasn't afraid to tell him the truth as well.

'Santino...' The Australian Diva gently squeezed his hands, looking him straight into his eyes filled with hope. 'The time that I have spend with you has been the happiest time of my life. You are more than just a friend to me, Santino. I adore everything about you, from those sweet eyes to your amazing personality. I have never met a guy who is as sweet as you. This date has made me so happy. You made me the happiest girl on Earth, going out with you is an even bigger honor than winning the Divas Championship.' Then she wrapped her arms around Santino's waist, pulling him in for a hug. Closing her eyes, she listened to his fast heartbeat. 'I love you, Santino.'

Finally.

His love for Emma had been answered.

Santino hugged her back, he wished to never let her go. 'I love you most.'

Emma looked up and gave him a light kiss right on his lips. It made smile from ear to ear. It was the sweetest kiss he had ever received in his life. Tonight had been the best night ever.

Tomorrow he would tell Sheamus all about it.

**Phew! Finally, 'First Date' has been finished! Thank you so much for your patience, reading the fanfic and reviewing it. See you next time! ;D**


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